
Member Reviews

This book was a miss for me. The overall plot line was promising, but it the characters' actions and responses seemed incredibly unrealistic. All 3 couples in the book were engaged within a month of dating. The "instant love" trope is very hard for me to get behind even for one couple in a book, so having it for 3 couples was just too much. There were too many sub-plot lines, and while each had potential, none were developed enough.

This was a slow start for me and wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m glad I stuck it out. However there were some things that didn’t felt thought out. For example, how were phones charged the whole trip when they were using battery powered lamps.

Very. Cute. In France. *swoon* Great for a rom com movie. Love the cover, it's so adorable!! Not quite enemies-to-lovers trope but definitely one-bed trope! I loved the backdrop of a French chateau, even if it is falling apart and dingy. lol. Will definitely be reading more from this author!

Sarah Ready books can be hit or miss for me; I've really enjoyed some of her works and have cringed at others. This one is a solid 3 out of 5 stars for me. While I liked the characters, there were some moments that made me sigh heavily (not in a good way) and roll my eyes. I like the idea of the main characters getting away from their lives for a bit and falling for each other in close quarters, and the setting of France was lovely, but I felt like the story didn't have enough to keep my interest. I think this would've been a great novella, but a full novel felt like it dragged. The lobster parts were just so random and out of place that I couldn't help but shake my head. I get that Ready was trying to be funny and quirky, but an escaped lobster living in the walls of a chateau? I couldn't tell if it was a romcom trying to be serious or a drama trying to be funny. It was a cute, but kind of forgettable, romance.
I did like the story with Noah though; I could feel him really struggling with who he was for so long and the heartbreak of not knowing where his parents were. I was glad to see that closure for him. I know that it was in the POV of Merry, but I think having a split-POV with her and Noah would've taken this book up a notch.
Thanks to NetGalley, Swift and Lewis, and Sarah Ready for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ready is definitely a hit or miss author for me, and I found this one to be somewhere in the middle. It has tons of personality and a fun, rom com feel. I loved the vacation vibes and the playful tension between this couple, and the setting was interesting. Forced proximity is a win, and peeling back the layers of the hero was great. I did think some of the humor was over the top and distracted from the actual relationship development, and parts of the story were wildly implausible. I enjoyed the romance the most, and think the story could've been tightened up a bit, I typically think Ready's rom coms are too short, but this one was significantly longer than usual, and that wasn't needed here. It dragged a bit, and I ended up losing interest somewhere along the way - switching to skimming by the end.
Audio note: The audio was fantastic! Kelsey Navarro does a great job, infusing a lot of humor and quirkiness into her performance. It was perfect for the low angst, rom com vibes of the book, and made the listening experience even better. The story itself was also ideal as a workday listen, with little to no spice and an upbeat tone that was relaxing. A little on the long side, but a solid listen for sure.

This was a bit of a slow burn. Enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes at work here. It did end up capturing my interest, so stick with it past the beginning bits. Spice level of about a green pepper: it’s there, it adds some flavor, but not a lot. It did make me much more emotional than I was anticipating though! They storyline was a good one, it wasn’t just about the main romance. I wasn’t a fan of the sister in this, but she’s a main character and doesn’t show up a whole lot 😅 overall, a good book!
Noah. Everyone fawns over him, except Merry. And he doesn’t seem to care for her either. And she has to walk down the aisle with him at her sister’s wedding. To the man she has loved forever. Everything is fine. She can do this. And her godmother provides her with a perfect place to escape to for a bit to get her head on straight. But she forgot to mention that the perfect French chateau Merry is staying at for the next 3 months, she had leased to Noah. And neither one of them is willing to leave.

LOVED every moment of this book!
One of the things I look for in a romcom the most is that it entertains me and makes me laugh out loud, Sarah Ready delivered! I stayed up way too late to finish this one--on top of the romance and comedy in this book, there is an underlying mystery--which elevated this book to the next level.
The banter, the lobster--it was perfection. This book absolutely made it into my Top Reads of 2023 list!
So good!

I finished French Holiday in one go. A French chateau. Enemies to lovers. A crazy lobster. An intriguing mystery. This is such an entertaing read . If you like a romcom with mystery twist, then you should definitely give this one a try.
I got this arc in exhange for an honest review.

Merry is not having a great time in life right now. Her {fairy} godmother allows Merry to stay at her French Castle while sorting through her life. She is determined to go there, regather herself and have a really good time. While in France, Merry knows this vacation will fix all.
French Holiday is a good book. I rated it 4 stars because it was easy to read, the characters were likable and I was able to relate to most of the different scenes. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a nice HEA.
Thank you to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me a free copy of this eBook.

A delightful romantic comedy with the perfect setting that gave me all the feels. I would 100% recommend this book!

Highly entertaining, laugh out loud, sweetly sexy and laugh out loud fun adventures filled with lots of heartwarming goodness. Really enjoyed this action-packed adventure that was packed with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and sweet small-town awesomeness.

French Holiday has elements of the tropes haters-to-lovers, slow burn, miscommunication and one bed. I thought the FMC Merry was someone I could relate to - wanting a bit of magic just for herself. I found the romance a bit predictable, but it was still fun to read. The slow burn was really nice to read but I felt the part where Merry and Noah kiss on the bridge was a bit rushed - and all of a sudden they declare their love for each other - for the rest of their lives.... that was a bit much.
The part about the search for Noah's father added a nice depth to the story and although that felt a bit rushed at times as well, I still thought the moment where Noah meets his father was the most emotional part of the story. Also, the caste (or ruin) provides very nice elements. Being from Europe myself, I thought the whole 'being in France and eating French food' felt a bit exaggerated, but I can understand the FMC's obsession with good food. All in all I thought it was a fun read.

A three-month holiday living in a castle? Sign me the eff up!
This book was so cute and good and magnificent! Enemies to lovers, forced proximity--it's my dream come true. I loved the bonus of the mystery. Merry arrived to a castle for a much needed break, and lo and behold, Noah is there who she doesn't like. Neither willing to leave, they are forced to strike up a friendship that'll lead to something more (because of course it does!) This was delightful. Sarah does amazing at making me swoon and laugh at the same time. The romance was cute and lovely.
I can't wait to read more by this author!

This book was just fun to read! Funny at times, heartfelt at others, “French Holiday” is an enchanting romance with a fairy tale setting, witty dialogue, silly scenarios, and at the heart of it, two people who go from not liking each other to finding the love they both need.
After Merry’s sister marries Leo- Merry’s best friend and the love of her life- she doesn’t know if her happily ever after will ever come. After quitting her job, her Godmother offers her the opportunity of a lifetime: house sit for her at a fabulous French Chateau while she figures out what she wants to do with her life. Apartment sublet, bags packed, Merry heads to France with high hopes, only to arrive at said chateau and see that it’s less than fabulous and that it’s also being occupied by Leo’s best man and Merry’s nemesis Noah. When neither of them want to budge on leaving, they agree to share their French castle for 3 months and all the trouble that comes along with it. As time goes, their arrangement turns to friendship, and then friendship starts to look like something more.
I found the comedy in this ‘friends to enemies’ romance to be refreshing. The banter between Noah and Merry was cute, fun, and made me look forward to every interaction they had in the book. Were some of the scenes a little wacky (I’m talking about you, Louis the Lobster)? Yes, yes they were. At the end of the day, however, I also think they added to the charm of the story. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed myself reading this book, and think that others will as well, a solid 4/5 stars. Enjoy!
**Thank you so much to Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It was a pleasure!**

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for having this available as an ARC. I had seen it all over Instagram that I had to check it out.
The story follows Merry who has to watch her sister Angela marry the man she’s in love with, Leo. She can’t help but look on with wonder - why didn’t she ever tell Leo in the 4 years that she knew him. Leo’s best man Noah encourages Merry to stop pining for him and to move on. Merry can’t stand Noah, thinking he’s arrogant and can’t understand why everyone likes him - it’s probably because he’s famous for making documentaries and has so much charm. She gets drunk at the wedding, wakes up in Noah’s bed and quickly gets out before he wakes up. At breakfast, Merry’s godmother Jupiter encourages her to seize life. She has a chateau in France if Merry ever wanted to create her own magic. When some unfortunate circumstances occur at work, Merry takes the plunge and who happens to be at the chateau? Noah! Can she really spend the next 3 months with him? Or is there more than meets the eye?
I was so engaged with this book that I read it in 6 hours. This was so much fun to read! The internal dialogue of Merry had me laughing out loud at times and I could relate to her worry or thoughts surrounding herself. I think when you’re constantly in the shadow of someone else, it’s hard not to be a bit self deprecating. When she found her spark and need for adventure, I was really rooting for her to have a holiday romance with a French men.
Noah was a bit of a mystery at the start. He had a hard exterior and he was just an onion waiting for the layers to be peeled back. We learned why he kept everyone at arm’s length and why he didn’t let anyone truly in. My picture of him is that he’s just stunningly gorgeous! His love of reading and references to gothic romances had me smiling.
There was little spice in this book and I didn’t mind that. It was more cleaner than the books I’m used to haha! The writing is so easy to read. You’ll laugh, smile, have some cringe moments, probably say “oh why did you do that?” and love all the characters at the same time. This was definitely charming, sweet, fun and a rom com you’d love seeing being made into a movie. Would definitely recommend!

Wine🍷…cheese🧀…lobsters…🦞
(A few very intense scenes with a lobster.)
A cute story that takes you right to the French countryside. I loved the French setting and all of the descriptions of the food and scenery of the castle, although I would have loved more scenery descriptions not at the castle too!
The main couple was adorable and I thought they had good chemistry and played off of each other well.
There were a handful of scenes that had me grinning from ear to ear as they were so funny and cute!
I usually enjoy Ready’s books and I thought this was a great addition to her works. I always look forward to picking up one of her books!
A big thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing for a complimentary advanced copy of this book!

Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC of French Holiday in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately I felt this one was hard for me to get into even though it has some of my favorite tropes. I just couldn’t enjoy Noah’s character and I’m not sure if it’s because there wasn’t a point of view for him or if it was how he was acting I’m unsure but I couldn’t get into it. I feel like in order to make it better it should’ve had his POV or less unnecessary details.

4 stars = I liked it. I love the premise of escaping to the European countryside and living there and finding love. So ot was fun to see a little slice of France's wine country. And I like the grumpy guy cheery girl pairing - our leading lady in very appealing. Add to this a bit of a mystery and two HEAs and French Holiday was a enjoyable read for me.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley- French Holiday is available now '- this is an unpaid review

Merry DeLuca has been in love with her best friend for over many years. Right on the cusp of professing her love, her little sister swoops in and steals him. Unbeknownst to the two of them, she's living in a haze. At the wedding of Angela and Leo, Merry is subjected to Noah, who is Leo's best man. It's like a love/hate vibe. So Merry's fairy godmother has offered her the use of her castle in France for the next three months. She is drooling over the food and the possibility of a holiday affair. Only Nash Wright is there. He has rented the castle for several weeks. Can they live together in a castle that is falling down? The village is quaint, the food is amazing and have made a new friend/s. It seems that Pierre is perfect for her fling but Camille has other ideas. When Noah tells Merry what he is there for, she believes in him. The only other person who can help him, doesn't believe him. Not only does Merry help him heal from his past, she has fallen in love with him. Trust her fairy godmother to make everything all right.

French Holiday is the first Sarah Ready book I've picked up, and it certainly won't bee the last.
Needing to get over her unrequited love for her best friend asap, considering how he just married her sister, Merry accepts her godmother's offer to visit France and live in her chateau. What she doesn't know is that Noah, bff's other friend, just rented that castle in order to complete research and work on his next documentary. The problem? There's only one bed and did I forgot to mention that they also hate each other. Their respective pasts make it difficult for them to trust in love, but slowly they go from enemies to friends to more, opening up and trusting in one another.
While I enjoy a good dual POV from time to time (uhm....Archer's Voice), I felt like reading the story from solely Merry's perspective was pleasantly refreshing. You don't have the chance to know or dive straight away into Noah's feelings or where his mind was at during certain scenes, instead you get to experience the ways in which both main characters slowly begin to open up and become more involved with each other. I also liked the mystery behind the chateau itself and, while I didn't initially like them, the side characters truly grew on me as they became more vulnerable with their emotions.
French Holiday was such a sweet and fun book to read. It had a perfect balance between both love and lust with a nice added dash of mystery. It made for an overall cute, hilarious, and absolutely amazing spring read! If you like reading while on vacation or a good romcom, you'll most likely enjoy this book.